This invention relates to shin pads for use as protective gear in ice hockey, and possibly other sports.
In ice hockey, shin protectors or pads conventionally have a flexible elongated lining of felt, foam or sewn cushioning material which may be arranged to wrap partially around the front of a players lower leg, from the ankle to just above the knee. Rigid or semi-rigid shin and knee shields, of polyethylene for example, are secured to the outside of the pad. The shin shield runs from the ankle to just below the knee, and the knee shield covers the knee. Separate shield members are used so that the pad can bend slightly to accommodate flexing of the knee.
Conventional shin pads, although sufficient to protect the knee against puck impact, offer little or no protection against injuries to the knee ligaments caused by heavy lateral impact or by hyperextension from heavy frontal impact, such as may occur in a body-check. Such knee injuries are all too common in hockey, however. There is therefore a need for a pad which will provide improved knee protection.
Preventing or restricting hyperextension is particularly desirable, in order to reduce the likelihood of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament, which connects the femur to the tibia, underneath the patella (knee cap). This ligament is quite short compared to the other major knee ligaments, i.e. the posterior, medial and lateral cruciate ligaments. This ligament is therefore unable to stretch very much, and is very vulnerable to severe injuries, e.g. severing, when the knee is hyperextended. These types of injuries are often career-ending, in many sports.
Injuries to the medial and lateral ligaments are more often of the strain or mild tear variety. It is quite rare to completely sever these ligaments. This is because both the medial and lateral cruciate ligaments are significantly longer than the anterior cruciate ligament, thereby providing greater ability to withstand stretching. However, these injuries can still be quite severe, and may require extensive rehabilitation and a lengthy recovery period.
Another characteristic of conventional shin pads is that when a player flexes his knee, the lower thigh area above the knee can become exposed, because the knee shield is basically attached to the shin shield, and therefore follows its movement. This is particularly a problem for players who drop to their knees to block a shot, since the puck may hit that exposed area, with potential for injury or at least considerable pain.